Electrical receptacle.



H. J. MOBEY.

ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE.

APPLiCATlON FILED APR. n. 1912.

1 384,420. PatentedNov. 12, '191&

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY J. MOREY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PASS & SEYMOUR, INC., 015 SOLVAY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL RECEPTAOLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

Application filed April 11, 1917. Serial No. 161,306.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. MonnY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Syracuse, county of Onondaga, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Receptacles of which the following is a specification.

-My invention relates to electrical appliances and particularly to improvements in chain pull electrical receptacles, though it is to be understood that various features of my invention are not limited to use in receptacles.

My invention embodies some of the principles shown in Patent No. 1,214,353 granted to me January 30, 1917. In the present type of receptacle the switch mechanism is inclosed entirely within a chamber or cavity in the bottom side of the insulating base in order that the receptacle may be mounted on a flat support.

Another object of my invention isto provide a receptacle in which the switch cham her and the chain groove are completely closed at the rear to exclude dust, bugs, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for holding the switch mechanism in place in the chamber in the bottom side of the insulating base.

Another object of my invention is to provide a more simple arrangement of the terminal plates to which the line wires are con nected.

The above and other objects and the novel features of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in con uection with the drawing which constitutes a part of this application and in which 2- Figure 1 is a side elevation on a small scale showing a receptacle embodying my invention mounted in position on a wall;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the receptacle, with the metal cover thereof removed;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same;

Fig. A is a central sectional view of the receptacle taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the cover shell in dotted lines;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the central part of the cavity in the central part of the base, showing part of the switch mechanism removed therefrom;

Fig. 6 is a dropped perspective view of the parts removed from the cavity in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a fiber cap which covers part of the switch cavity and part of the chain groove in the base.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a circular porcelain base which is adapted for use as an outlet box cover. The base is provided with two or more long holes 11 which extend from the front to the rear side of the base to receive screws or suitable fastening devices by means of which the base 10 may be secured to the outlet boX B or some other suitable support.

The rear side of the base 10 also has a central switch cavity or chamber C therein. The switch chamber or cavity C has two passages 12 and 13 in the bottom thereof, which passages lead through the base to the front side thereof. The base carries two line terminal plates 14: and 15 which extend through the passages 12 and 13 respectively into the switch chamber and are secured in recesses 16 in the bottom of the switch Cl1l111 her by screws 17 and 18 respectively. The outer ends of the terminal plates 14 and 15 rest on the projections 19 and 20 of the base 10. The outer ends of the terminal plates 14: and 15 are bent up or hook-shaped as at 21 and carry binding screws 22 and 23 adj acent the hooks 21 whereby the line wires 24 are clamped to the terminal plates. Recesses 25 in the upper sides of the projections 19, 20 are provided to receive the ends of the binding screws. The projections 19 and 20 extend into substantially semi-circular openings 26 in the base on opposite sides. of the center thereof. The openings 26 extend through the base from the front to the rear thereof so that after the base 10 has been fastened to the outlet box the wires 24- may be fished by some suitable tool and drawn through the opening 26 and hooked over the hooks 21 of the terminal plates and fastened in position by the binding screws of. the latter. It will thus be seen that the line wires may be connected to the receptacle by manipulation from the front of the recep tacle after it has been fastened to its support since the binding screws of the terminal plates are also accessible from the front of the base. Furthermore the terminal plates will not be bent out of position after the wires 24: have been attached to the plates nect them in a well known manner.

with a switch contact 27 held in place by a screw 28. On the opposite side of the center from the switch contact 27 there is-a similar switch contact 29 which has a projection,

' shown indotted lines in Fig. 5, in electrical contact with and held in place against the terminal plate 15 by the screw 18. The switch member S is shown in perspective at the bottom of Fig. 6 and has two spring fingers 30 on opposite sides of its center to engage the contacts 27 29 and electrically con- The switch member S also has the usual recesses in the outer edge of its body to provide the teeth 31 which are engageable by the cooperating teeth 32 in the edge of the ratchet member R fastened to the insulating segment G. The insulating segment G has secured to it the chain rail H which is provided with the usual hook 33 which receives and holds the end bead of the operating chain 34. The switch member S, ratchet member R and fiber segment G are provided with openings to receive the shank of the switch spindle P upon which these parts os cillate.

At its center the bottom of the cavity C is provided with a socket 35 in which a spiral spring 36 is seated. The socket 35 is substantially the same diameter as the spin dle P and the spring 36 therein yieldingly supports the spindle P so that it may be depressed for the purpose of adjusting it and the tension of the retractingspring T which surrounds it and is secured at one end to the ratchet diskR and at its opposite end to the head 37 of the spindle P. The head 37 of the spindle is angular, see Figs. 4 and 6, to fit in anangular recess 38 in the under side of an overhanging part 39 of a porcelain plug member L. An opening 40 through the overhanging part 39 registers with the recess 38 and by means of a screw- ClIlVGIfl or similar instrument access may be.

had to the slot 371 in the head 37 to both depress the spindle Pand turn it into a desired position to change the tension of the spring T so that the operating disk G and ratchet R will be retracted the proper.

holes 42 extending vertically therethrough to receive the screws 43 which engage threaded openings in the inner ends of theterminal plates 14 and 15 so that the plug member L is removably held in place within the cavity 0.

The rear face of the base 10 has a chain 7 vgroove 45 therein which extends from the switch cavity C along the rear face of the base and then through the base opening to the front side of the base 46, see Fig. 2. This roove is adapted to receive the inner end 0% the operating chain 34 which is secured to the hook 33 on the fiber segment G. The plug member L serves to partly close the switch cavity C and in order to close the rest of the switch cavity and the chain groove 45 to exclude dust, bugs, etc., therefrom, I provide a fiber cap F, see Figs. 3

and 7. The part of the cap F which closes i a portion of the switch cavity consists of a substantially segmental part 48 which rests on a shoulder 49 surrounding the mouth of the cavity C and is provided with a tongue 50 at its inner edge to engage into a recess 51 in the plug member L to secure the cap F in place. The cap F also has an extension 52 formed integral with the part 48 which rests on shoulders 53 of the chain groove 45,

and is provided with a tongue 54'extending into a recess in the base 10 to hold the end of the extension in place. It will be seen that the switch cavity and the communicating chain groove are completely closed to exclude all foreign substances therefrom.

The front face of the base 10 has two nearly semi-circular walls 55 and 56 formed integral therewith about the axis of the base to provide a cavity for the switch contacts which consist of a screw shell 57 and a center spring contact 58. The ends of the walls 55 and 56 are spaced apart directly over the terminal plates 14 and 15. The screw shell 57 is secured in place by the screws 18 and 28, the former being inserted from the shoulder 57 and the latter making electrical contact between the shell 57 and theswitch contact 27. The center lamp contact 58 is held in place by the screw 17 which electrically connects the center lamp contact 58 and the line terminal plate 14. Since the switch contact 29 and line terminal plate 15 are electrically connected together it will be seen that whenever the switch member S electrically connects the switch contacts 27 and 29 current will flow from the line terminal 15 through the switch contact 29, switch S,

a turn will again make the circuit at the two contacts 27 and 29, thus providing a double make-and-break switch mechanism in combination with the electrical receptacle and disposed entirely beneath or flush with the rear side of the base of the receptacle.

In order to inclose the front face of the base I provide a metal shell K which has a central flange 60 adapted to surround an insulating sleeve 61 around the shell 57. The shell K also has a bell 62 thereon which registers with the outlet 46 of the chain groove 45 and through which the chain 34 may pass. It will be seen that the chain 34 depends from a point near the edge of the receptacle and at a sufficient distance from the lamp carried by the receptacle so that the operation of the chain will not interfere with the lamp and so that the chain will not become excessively hot from contact with the lamp. The cover shell K is fastened in place by screws which pass through openings 63 in it and into threaded holes 64 in the front of the base 10;

By means of the construction shown the switch mechanism and lamp contacts are perfectly insulated from each other and the base may be made comparatively thin at its center so that the lamp carried by the receptacle will project a minimum distance from the wall on which the base is secured.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the structure shown without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electrical receptacle, the combi nation of an insulating base having acentral cavity in its rear face, and passages, 26, extending through its body on opposite sides of said cavity, lamp terminals mounted cen trally on the front of said base, line terminals mounted on said base at the bottom of said cavity and extending laterally into said passages 26, switch mechanism located in said cavity below the plane of the rear face of said base, said switch mechanism being adapted to control the flow of current from said line terminals through said lamp contacts, and means for operating said switch mechanism.

2. In an electrical receptacle, the combination of an insulating base having openings therethrough from the front face to the rear face to receive fastening means for securing the base to a suitable support, said base also having a central cavity in its rear face, switch mechanism located in said cavity below the plane of the rear face of the base, line terminals mounted on said base, said line terminals being disposed within the margin of the base and carrying binding screws accessible from the front of the base to permit the attachmentof the line wires to said terminals from the front of the base, lamp contacts mounted centrally on the front of said base, said switch mechanism being adapted to control the flow of current from said line terminals through said lamp contacts, and means for operating said switch mechanism.

3. In an electrical receptacle, the combination of an insulating base having a central cavity in its rear face, situated entirely below the plane of the rear face of the body, and a channel leading from said cavity through the base to the front side thereof, lamp terminals mounted centrally on the front of said base, line terminals mounted on said base and carrying binding screws, switch mechanism located in said cavity below the plane of the rear face of said base, said switch mechanism being adapted to control the flow of current from said line terminals through said lamp contacts, and means for operating said switch mechanism having a part extending through said channel into said cavity and attached to a part of the switch mechanism.

a. In an electrical receptacle, the combination of an insulating base having in its rear face a central cavity, a channel leading away from the cavity toward the edge of the base and a passage through the base to the front thereof at the end of the channel, lamp terminals mounted on the front of said base, line terminals mounted on said base, switch mechanism located in said cavity below the plane of the rear face of the base, said switch mechanism being adapted to control the flow of current from said line terminals through said lamp contacts, means for operating said switch mechanism having a part extending through said passage and channel into said cavity and attached to a part of said switch mechanism, and a cover attached to the rear of said base and closing the cavity and channel to exclude dust, bugs, etc., therefrom.

5. In an electrical appliance, the combination of an insulating base having a cavity therein and a socket at the center of the bottom of the cavity, switch mechanism in the cavity including a headed spindle having the shank end thereof seated in said socket, an insulating block having a body part resting on the bottom of the cavity and an overhanging part recessed to receive the head of said spindle and a closure cooperating with said insulating block to close the mouth of said cavity.

6. In an electrical appliance, the combination of an insulating base having a cavity therein and a socket in the bottom of the cavity, electric switch mechanism in said cavity including a spindle having one end thereof seated'in said socket, and an insulating block secured in said cavity and having a part provided with a recess to receive the other end of said spindle to hold it in place.

7. In an electrical appliance, the combination of an insulating base having a cavity therein and a socket in the bottom of the cavity, electric switch mechanism in said cavity including a headed spindle having one end thereof seated in said socket, and an insulating block secured in said cavity and having an overhanging part provided with an angular recess to receive the head end of the spindle to lock it against turning and also provided with an aperture through which access may be had to the head of the spindle todepress and turn it.

8. In an electrical appliance, the combi nation of an insulating base having a cavity therein, electric switch mechanism in said cavity, an insulating block secured in said cavity to hold the switch mechanism in place and also to partly close the mouth of,

the cavity, and an insulating element secured to said base and closing the rest of the mouth of the cavity.

9. In an electrical appliance, the combination of an insulating base having a cavity in its face and also a channel in its face leading away from the cavity, electric switch mechanism disposed in said cavity below the face of the base, means for operating said switch mechanism having a part extending through said channel into the cavity and attached to a part of the switch mechanism, and means for closing the mouth of said cavity, a part of said closing means having an extension which closes the said channel. a

10. In an electrical receptacle, the combination of an insulating base having a cavity in the rear side thereof and passages leading from the bottom part of said cavity to the front side of the base, lamp contacts on the front side of the base, line terminal plates extending through said passages into the cavity and secured to the base, the ends of the terminal plates outside the cavity carrying binding screws operable from the front sideof the base, switch mechanism in said cavity having a switch contact electrically connected to the inner end of one of said-plates and another switch contact electrically connected to one of said lamp contacts, means whereby the end of the other terminal plate in the cavity is electrically connected to the other lamp contact, and means for operating said switch mechanism.

11. In an electrical appliance the combination of an insulating base having a cavity in one side thereof and passages leading from the bottom part of said cavity through Gopies of thispatent may be obtained. for

the base to the other side thereof, line terminal plates extending through said passages into the cavity, secured to the base and having threaded holes in their inner ends, switch mechanism in said cavity having a spindle, an insulating member holding said spindle in position and fitting a part of said cavity, screws passing through openings in said member and engaging the threaded holes in said plates to fasten'said member to the base,

and means for operating said switch mechand secured to the base, the outer ends of said line terminal plates resting on said proj ections and carrying binding screws, branch circuit terminals carried by said base and switch mechanism in said cavity controlling the flow of current from said line terminal plates through said branch circuit terminals.

13. In an electrical receptacle the combination of an insulating base having holes therethrough from the front face to the rear face to receive fastening means for securing the base to a suitable support, said base having a central cavity in its rear face and the passages leading from the bottom part of said cavity through the base to the other side thereof, said base also having openings therethrough on opposite sides of the cavity through which the line wires may be drawn and projecting portions on said base extending into said openings, line terminal plates extending through said passages into the cavity and secured to the base, said line terminal plates having threaded holes in their inner ends and the outer trol the flow of current from the line terminal plates through the switch contacts and means whereby said switch mechanism may be operated from the front side of the base. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY J. MOREY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

